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Discussion Topic: OSU Wrestling on NIL
Brian Keaton added to this discussion on February 17, 2026
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Still, some additional explanation is in order. Penn State and OSU both are traditional powers, but PSU suddenly is taking a less traditional path to its power source by way of revenue sharing and the transfer portal. The Nittany Lions’ wrestling program receives $1.5 million in athletic department revenue sharing money, which it uses to build its name, image and likeness portfolio to attract high school recruits and portal transfers while helping stop current wrestlers from leaving.
Ohio State receives no revenue sharing money. Football, men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball are the only OSU sports to share the $18 million, the bulk of which goes to football.
“This team is really inexpensive for how good we are,” Ryan said, explaining that OSU wrestlers collect a combined $400,000 in NIL through donations and camps. “We’ve never had more than two transfers at any one time. Some schools have four to six guys.”
The Nittany Lions have five transfers on their roster, including 2024 NCAA runner-up Rocco Welsh, who redshirted at Ohio State last season, and top-ranked junior Mitchell Mesenbrink, who went over from Cal-Baptist after his freshman year.
“Rocco left out of the blue. He got poached by Penn State,” Ryan said.
The vast majority of discussion surrounding the transfer portal centers on football and men’s basketball, but non-revenue sports are impacted. I zeroed in on two highly-successful OSU sports – wrestling and men’s tennis – to see what effect the portal has had on their programs.
Ryan explained how times have changed with the introduction of the portal.
“The train has left the station and it doesn’t seem like we’re going back,” he said. “It’s very big in wrestling. People are jumping ship left and right. These days it’s ‘How much can you pay me?’ We brought in a 184-pounder (Dylan Fishback) and 149-pounder (Ethan Stiles), but we didn’t go after the most expensive guys in the portal. We fit to our culture. You have to protect the standard of your culture at all times.”
The Buckeyes dipped into the portal for the first time this year, “not because we’re against it but because we haven’t needed it,” Ryan said.
More options create more opportunity to build and restock rosters, Ryan said.
“It used to be you recruited right out of high school, and if you needed someone a little older you went junior college,” he said. “Now with the transfer portal you have three buckets to choose from. In theory, it’s an opportunity to plug holes. That’s how we’ve used it. Some places wait until the portal opens and then fill the team with studs.”
A defending NCAA national champion can earn up to $400,000 in NIL money, Ryan said, adding that a wrestler can make $150,000 just for reaching the finals and $100,000 to $75,000 for placing third to fifth. A highly-prized high school recruit can fetch $100,000.
“If you’ve proven yourself in high school, there’s value for you, so think about if you’ve proven yourself in college, there is even more value, because it’s not based on speculation. So the portal can get pretty expensive,” he said.
NCAA rules stipulate an athlete cannot receive NIL funds based strictly on athletic performance, but “Jeremiah Smith gets more money not for his good looks, but for catching the ball,” Ryan said, referencing the OSU wide receiver.
“Now we’re a GM” Ryan said. “It’s managing NIL and deciding what companies do you want to align with as a student-athlete. But at the end of the day you recruit guys and love them and train them and help them attain what they want. That’s the most fun piece.”
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Discussion Topic: OSU Wrestling on NIL
Ben Golden added to this discussion on February 17, 2026
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Wow, that’s the most data I’ve seen on the topic. Is there a link to the article?
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Discussion Topic: OSU Wrestling on NIL
Brian Keaton added to this discussion on February 17, 2026
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Discussion Topic: OSU Wrestling on NIL
J.P. Barner added to this discussion on February 17, 2026
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Thanks for posting that Brian.
Dislike PSU even more now...:)
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Discussion Topic: OSU Wrestling on NIL
Nick Lecklider added to this discussion on February 18, 2026
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Tom Ryan previously said in an interview the team and rtc has a combined 2 million a year to spend. 400k a year I’m not buying. They offered blaze more than a million over his career. That 100k a year for elite high school recruits is laughable.
How the volleyball team gets anything from the school in profit sharing is awful. They went 6-22 last year and lose tons of money. They are probably Ohio state worst athletic program. I’m sure they get a very small percent but it’s crazy they get anything.
If the school gives 1.5 million alone to Penn state wrestlers in profit sharing it will never be an even playing field in wrestling. That’s not even any nil deals or donations which they also lead . An average wrestler making 150k without any sort of nil deals is absurd.
2.8 million is split among athletics in profit sharing to cover extra athletic scholarships among all sports. The wrestling team I believe gets 15 scholarships instead of 9.9 now.
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Discussion Topic: OSU Wrestling on NIL
Jim Behrens added to this discussion on February 18, 2026
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Quote from Nick Lecklider's post:
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"How the volleyball team gets anything from the school in profit sharing is awful. They went 6-22 last year and lose tons of money. They are probably Ohio state worst athletic program. I’m sure they get a very small percent but it’s crazy they get anything.
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Maybe it means something and maybe not but, you are aware that Title 9 is a real thing aren't you?
BTW, where is an OSU women's wrestling team?
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Discussion Topic: OSU Wrestling on NIL
Nick Lecklider added to this discussion on February 18, 2026
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As of February 2026, the application of Title IX to Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) payments is in flux, with federal guidance recently reversing to state that NIL payments are not generally subject to Title IX gender equity requirements. While Biden-era guidance briefly suggested Title IX applied to NIL, the Trump administration rescinded this, arguing that NIL, particularly from third parties, does not fall under the school-based equity requirements of Title IX
Even if title IX is applied many women’s programs deserve it before volleyball imo at Ohio state.
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Discussion Topic: OSU Wrestling on NIL
Bill Splete added to this discussion on February 18, 2026
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The entire thing is a mess, much worse than the SMU days. To say that title IX doesn’t apply to third parties, as the school directs the collective is disingenuous, they aren’t a third party and lacks some judicial oversight, as the presidents executive order can’t violate federal law…but I watch a lot of law and order so there is my level of expertise. I do agree that a third party should not be required to adhere to title IX as they may only wish or should be doing the NIL regardless of school affiliation…which we or I think we can all agree is connected…awesome for the kids, but the grown ups into room need guard rails. Seems like a lot of bro law. It seems the NCAA will agree to anything as long as they don’t have to share on their money…
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Discussion Topic: OSU Wrestling on NIL
Jim Behrens added to this discussion on February 18, 2026
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Quote from Nick Lecklider's post:
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"
Even if title IX is applied many women’s programs deserve it before volleyball imo at Ohio state."
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We get that but your opinion, like mine, means nothing at OSU.
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Discussion Topic: OSU Wrestling on NIL
Jack Muni added to this discussion on February 18, 2026
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What amazes me is that the Big Ten, the best wrestling conference in college, only has ONE woman's wrestling program, Iowa. Tiffin and John Carroll have girl wrestling programs but not tOSU. ???
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Discussion Topic: OSU Wrestling on NIL
Michael Rodriguez added to this discussion on February 19, 2026
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Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad look for Coach Ryan? When I read this article, it seems like Coach Ryan is complaining about a system that everyone is using (including him) and one team is just better at it.
To say that Welsh left "out of the blue" means the head coach of tOSU wrestling team wasn't communicating with his sophomore NCAA runner-up. If I was a fan, that would be an issue. Also, to say that Welsh got poached by Penn State, seems a little sour grapes to me.
Welsh did an interview the other day (after the OSU dual) and he was asked the question about the transfer, he handled it with class and poise. He didn't take the opportunity kick Ohio State while they were down. He didn't say he regretted the decision. It just seemed like a timely contrast between the two men.
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Discussion Topic: OSU Wrestling on NIL
Roe Fox added to this discussion on February 19, 2026
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I think you’re working a little hard to criticize TR on this one. They had discussions, he recommitted, then he left. I sure he was somewhat surprised.
And from my point of view he was poached. He stays at Ohio State if PSU doesn’t swoop him up and pay. He wasn’t going anywhere else.
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Discussion Topic: OSU Wrestling on NIL
Michael Rodriguez added to this discussion on February 19, 2026
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I get it, he’s your guy…and his team has had a fantastic season, due, in large part to his leadership. I’ve never been shy about praising Coach Ryan with regard to his unprecedented success at tOSU. I don’t think it’s a stretch at all. I think he’s comes off weak and a hypocrite. Ohio State gets contributors through the portal. Ohio State gets wrestlers NIL money. Ohio State operates under the same rules as Penn State. They’re just not as good at it.
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Discussion Topic: OSU Wrestling on NIL
Ben Golden added to this discussion on February 19, 2026
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Meaningful distinction here: the $1.5M mentioned is a different pool of money than NIL. PSU wrestling’s $1.5M is revenue sharing directly from the school to the athletes. NIL is separate.
Ohio State (not the wrestling program, but the athletic program) seems to have made a different strategic decision and is giving virtually all the revenue sharing money they are permitted to share with Football and Basketball, rather than other sports.
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Discussion Topic: OSU Wrestling on NIL
Michael Rodriguez added to this discussion on February 20, 2026
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Ben, That sounds like an issue Coach Ryan has with tOSU, not Penn State. Am I wrong on that?
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